April 19 Virtual Worship Service

As we continue to gather apart on Sundays for the sake of our own health and that of our neighbors, here are some resources for worshiping at home with our own families. Some may find it helpful to play these at around our usual 10:45 start time in order to maintain a sense of normalcy in the schedule, but they're accessible at any time. For those with younger children, don't forget that we have some children's ministry materials available for you, and Mark is updating those each week.

Songs of Praise and Worship

These are the songs Tom has selected for this week. Just listen to the words and make them your prayer, or feel free to crank the volume and sing along. Each link will open a YouTube video in a new tab. Tom has included some comments, calling us to engage meaningfully and purposefully with each song. (You'll need to excuse any ads that may come up.)
  1. The words of our first song have us calling out to God for help in our worship to Him. Teach us to sing songs of loudest praise, songs of Your endless grace and love. I find it thought provoking that we find a need to ask for His help in worshiping Him, yet it begins to make more sense as I remember that my whole life is to be an act of worship to Him. Then I know without doubt that this heart so prone to wander is truly in need of help. So, yes dear Father, let Your love bind me to Yourself as I worship You with all my heart!
    Come Thou Fount, Come Thou King
  2. There are things in life that we say will never cease to amaze us and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. Is God’s grace one of those things? Are we truly amazed by His grace? Let me challenge each of us to consider that as we listen or sing along with this song. We have been set free from the bondage we were in. Contemplate that. Meditate on that. Let the truth of His love and grace sink deep in our hearts.
    Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
  3. We’ll finish with our regular set of songs with one that brings us to a place of complete adoration and worship as we think about who our Lord is and what He has done. Creation itself brings worship and praise to Him. How much more should we as we are not only a part of His creation, but we are the ones He desires to be in relationship with—so much so that He gave His life for us. That is so poignantly highlighted in the second verse where it says, “How beautiful the mystery that love would bleed from majesty.”
    How Majestic
  4. BONUS SONG: If time and attention allow (the video is a little long)... The bonus song this week is one I feel is a great follow-up to our celebration last week of our Lord’s resurrection. The apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippian believers speaks of his desire to fully understand and in a sense become a part of the power of His resurrection. The message of this song to us is to come to that same understanding—the power of His resurrection lives in us. Should that make a difference in how we live our lives? I think so!
    The Same Power

Missionary of the Week: Alicia Shedd

Here's a chance to hear from and pray for one of our missionary partners at an important transition time in her ministry.

Here's the link if the video doesn't load within this page.

Ministry of the Word

The video below includes this week's message, including the visuals. Before you start, you can download and print the customary fill-in-the-blank sermon notes if you like. An audio-only version will also be available through our normal podcasting channels.


Here's the link if the video doesn't load within this page.

Fellowship Time

If you're "attending" at around our usual time on Sunday morning, we're going to open up a Zoom meeting again this week from 11:30 to noon for anyone who wants to pop in and say hi. Click the link below. If you're using your phone or tablet, you may need to download the Zoom Cloud Meetings app, but you don't need to set up an account to participate. If you enable your camera, we'll be able to see each other, it will be easy to "talk" via the chat feature (typing), and a few of us at a time can unmute ourselves to actually talk.

Here's the link to join the conversation

Offerings

Our offering box at the back of the sanctuary obviously doesn't work so well in a virtual setting, and we have not yet entered the world of online giving. Please consider mailing your gifts and offerings to the church at PO Box 566, South Sutton, 03273. Thank you.